Chieftaincy factions clash in Bolga

It looks as though the Bolgatanga Chieftaincy dispute and its associated vices have come to stay, as the two factions keep firing guns at each other at the least provocation.

On Tuesday, April 24, when business activities were about “picking-up”, some yet to be identified persons started firing guns at the Atulbabiisi area, thereby causing fear and panic in the commercial centre of the Bolgatanga Municipality.

The sporadic gunshots lasted a little over 10 minutes and many of the shop owners who closed their shops and offices and fled from the area did not return, especially when the soldiers stationed around that area to protect life and property have also made it a point to molest anyone found loitering the Atulbabiisi area, anytime there is a problem in that community.

The Bolgatanga Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent, Samuel Punobyin, in a media interview, indicated that the renewed clash was over a parcel of land.

According to him, the Abilba Family a claimed that the land which their opposing faction at the Upper part of the Atulbabiisi area, wants to develop, is their ancestral grave hence would not allow any structure to be built on it.

He disclosed that, some yet to be identified persons, believed to be loyal of the other Chief at the Southern part of the Atulbabiisi area, drove out artisans who were working on the land resulting into the misunderstanding and the subsequent gunshots.

Meanwhile, the Abilba family also claimed, according to the police, that the disputed land belongs to them and they have a document to prove that, hence their decision to report the conduct of their opponent to the Police for amicable solution.

This feud between the factions had lingered on for a long time now and it is difficult to figure out what exactly is the cause because anytime the two factions clash the stories vary.

At the time of filing this report, calm had returned to the area, with no casualties and no news of any arrest.